ITHACA, NEW YORK, Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SimpliFed, the leading virtual maternal health leader in breastfeeding and baby feeding support, has launched the first inaugural National Mastitis Awareness Day, on the forest Wednesday in August, National Breastfeeding Month. Marking August 6th, 2025, as this new awareness day, SimpliFed seeks to highlight the need for better understanding of maternal medical issues related to baby feeding – especially mastitis – and call for healthcare payers and providers to better support families in those early days and weeks of parenting.
“Mastitis can evolve quickly from a clogged milk duct, and when it hits, it’s incredibly painful,” said Andrea Ippolito, CEO and founder of SimpliFed. “We launched National Mastitis Awareness Day to engender awareness around mastitis as so much more clinical attention and understanding is needed to better support breastfeeding challenges. There are many signs that can escalate quickly to mastitis. Through SimpliFed’s virtual care model, IBCLCs meet with patients preventively, to catch symptoms early, to keep health plan costs low and maintain and improve patients’ health.”
Every year, mastitis affects more than 10 percent of breastfeeding parents in the US. Mastitis is inflammation of the breast tissue that can cause pain, swelling, redness and can even cause an infection. Although not everyone needs antibiotics for recovery, mastitis is extremely painful and in some cases will stop a breastfeeding journey entirely. There are ways to thwart the inflammation, including working with an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) that can mitigate symptoms and help resume a successful breastfeeding and baby feeding journey.
SimpliFed’s proprietary data analysis showed that each incidence of mastitis can cost health plans on average more than $1,000. Due to the nature of appointments, typically virtual appointments, lactation consultants can identify signs and symptoms and offer methods to unclog milk ducts or reduce inflammation. Many mastitis patients find themselves in the ER and urgent care, which results in significant costs to patients, health plans and systems.
In addition the overall cost of mastitis can be much more costly to the patient, due to the patient’s livelihood and personal needs. IBCLC support can include more successful back to work plans, which results in better employee retention and satisfaction, and work-life balance. According to studies, about 50 percent of women say they would consider leaving their workplace for a job that accommodates breastfeeding mothers.
“Our team at SimpliFed often gets that late night text: ‘why does this hurt so much?’ Our SimpliFed team of certified lactation consultants are ready to discuss why breastfeeding should never hurt, what to do and how to avoid mastitis if and when possible,” said Abrie McCoy, a certified IBCLC at SimpliFed. “IBCLCs – either in-person or virtual – are certified providers doing life-saving work, because preventing or curing mastitis is indeed life-changing.”
SimpliFed is focused on helping new parents where they are, to help feed their baby best based on research, data and personal decision. The SimpliFed team is an extensive provider network of IBCLCs, NPs, RNs, and CLCs provide expanded resources for ongoing, judgment-free support. SimpliFed’s inclusive baby feeding support delivered via telehealth can reach a parent where and when they need help — from the safety, comfort, and convenience of their home — allowing them to gain access to assistance on their terms. Along with getting matched with a provider across their episode of care, parents are also matched with a peer support parent Ally to help guide them through their experience.
SimpliFed was founded in 2019 by Andrea Ippolito, who experienced mastitis herself with her three daughters. Her first-hand experience in realizing how difficult infant feeding was, and how much judgment and misinformation exists around baby nutrition, led her to found the business in 2019. From this experience, she and the team have redesigned the care pathway to improve access, reduce costs, and improve maternal and baby health outcomes.
SimpliFed is democratizing access to baby feeding support services covered by health plans via their virtual continuum of care model starting during pregnancy. SimpliFed recognizes that breastfeeding and baby feeding is innately connected to physical and mental health for both mom and baby, and the company’s goal is to dramatically increase access to these ACA-covered services.
For more information about SimpliFed, please visit: www.SimpliFed.com.
About SimpliFed
SimpliFed is the virtual maternal health leader in breastfeeding and baby feeding support. They provide judgment-free, virtual breastfeeding and baby feeding support to parents on their baby feeding journeys. Parents connect with its network of baby feeding experts from the comfort and safety of home via SimpliFed’s secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. SimpliFed’s mission is to create a new model for optimal feeding by building trusted relationships with parents, partnering with healthcare payers and providers, and shifting policy, practice, and narratives to drive health and economic equity, starting with baby’s first foods.
More information can be found at: https://www.simplifed.com/.
- Simplifed launched the inaugural National Mastitis Awareness Day, during National Breastfeeding Month. This new national awareness day intends to foster better understanding of maternal medical issues needing better support parents
- Simplifed launched the inaugural National Mastitis Awareness Day, during National Breastfeeding Month. This new national awareness day intends to foster better understanding of maternal medical issues needing better support parents